Park City marks some of the worst traffic days on the calendar

Representatives from City Hall, Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort met in October to discuss traffic plans for what are expected to be some of the busiest ski days of the season.

The meeting also included the Utah Department of Transportation and law enforcement, according to a report submitted to Mayor Jack Thomas and the Park City Council.

The busy ski days expected by the officials are the period between Dec. 26 and Jan. 3, Feb. 14-17, March 7, March 14, March 21 and March 28.

The Dec. 26-Jan. 3 period covers the time between the day after Christmas and New Year’s, typically a hopping time in Park City. The Feb. 14-17 dates cover Presidents Day weekend, also one of the jammed times in the city. The March dates, meanwhile, each a Saturday, are during a key stretch of the ski season when people on spring break head to the slopes.

The report to the elected officials indicates a portable digital sign will be placed on northbound Deer Valley Drive as it approaches Bonanza Drive with the message "I-80 via US 40" with an arrow pointing drivers in that direction. The sign is an attempt by officials to direct traffic away from S.R. 224.

A digital sign will also be placed on southbound S.R. 224 as it passes Hotel Park City signaling "Park City Full" and "Park at High School." The sign will be turned on at 10 a.m., the report says.

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The report also briefly addresses overflow parking issues at PCMR and Deer Valley Resort, saying additional parking on the busy days at PCMR will be at Park City High School while protocol calls for Deer Valley to use the east side of Deer Valley Drive for additional parking.

The measures that will be taken on the busy ski days are similar to those in past years. Park City officials, as well as the others at the meeting, have for years attempted to craft plans to reduce the amount of traffic on the busiest days of the ski season with limited success. Backups on S.R. 224 and S.R. 248 are commonplace during the ski season.

The meeting in October was held on the same day the officials addressed the transportation plan for the Sundance Film Festival. Traffic is usually some of the worst of the year during Sundance.